Good morning. Big U.S. companies are taking a range of approaches to dealing with employee requests for a religious exemption to Covid-19 vaccine mandates, according to internal documents viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Employees at General Electric Co. who seek a religious exemption to the vaccine mandate are asked to answer 13 questions, including whether their religious beliefs prevent them from wearing seat belts or taking Tylenol. Workers at Tyson Foods Inc. requesting the same accommodation sign a two-question form.

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Employers say they are trying to meet federal requirements and protect their workers by getting them inoculated. Companies are weighing factors such as privacy issues and religious beliefs as they try to identify workers who are attempting to avoid the vaccine for other reasons. Some workers at companies that ask more questions say they feel the protocols were designed to discourage them from seeking a religious exemption.

The more detailed questionnaires, some experts say, reflect a view among employers that vaccine accommodations should be rare, and reserved for people who apply their religious beliefs in other decisions and behaviors as well.

• Related: Supreme Court Denies Religious Exemption to State Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers

The Federal Trade Commission, led by new Democratic Chairwoman Lina Khan, has adopted a series of policy changes aimed at cracking down on corporate mergers, sparking deep partisan disagreement at the agency.

The latest initiative came last week when Democrats who control the five-member FTC announced a policy that would give the commission veto power over a company’s future transactions once it attempts an allegedly anticompetitive merger or acquisition.

• Jes Staley stepped down as chief executive of Barclays PLC under pressure from regulators about how he characterized his relationship with the convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
   
• Huawei Technologies Co. said its revenue fell 38% in the most recent quarter, as U.S. restrictions on its access to global chip supplies continued to take a toll on the Chinese company.
   
• A federal judge on Friday said he was inclined to require Sen. Richard Burr’s brother-in-law to testify in an investigation that examines whether the two men engaged in insider trading.
   
• Prince Andrew asked a New York federal court to dismiss a sex-abuse lawsuit filed against him by a Jeffrey Epstein accuser, saying the woman has profited off baseless allegations for years and sullied his reputation.
   
• U.S. air-safety regulators are preparing to issue warnings to pilots and airlines about potential interference with key cockpit safety systems by a new 5G wireless service slated to go live as soon as early December, according to current and former government and aviation industry officials briefed on the matter.
   
• A fugitive Chinese businessman who has been living large in California in recent years was arrested in Las Vegas last week on allegations of entering the U.S. using fraudulently obtained visas.
   
• Inside the Alec Baldwin shooting: a dysfunctional set and a fatal mistake.
   
• President Biden said on Sunday he believed he would meet his target of halving U.S. emissions by the end of the decade, expressing confidence that Democrats’ social-spending and climate legislation would pass. 
   
• Leaders of the world’s biggest economies endorsed a deal on corporate taxation that they hope will safeguard their future revenues and offer stability to businesses that operate internationally. The main beneficiaries are likely to be rich countries, including the U.S.

Patagonia is doubling down on its decision to stop all paid advertising on Facebook Inc. platforms, urging other companies to join the sportswear company in its boycott of the social-networking company as it faces widespread scrutiny following the release of internal documents.

In a statement, Patagonia Chief Executive Ryan Gellert urged Facebook to “prioritize people and planet over profit.”

• Related: Why Facebook Chose Meta as Its Name: What to Know?

• The global supply-chain crisis is spreading to Madison Avenue. Many companies have been struggling for months to get products to consumers, as they face shortages in everything from raw materials to labor to cargo containers, among other problems. Some are questioning whether it makes sense to promote products they can’t adequately stock.
   
• Related: Supermarkets Play Supply-Chain ‘Whack-a-Mole’ to Keep Products on Shelves

• Companies from IKEA to Microsoft call for clear climate policy as they head to Glasgow
   
• New York’s state pension fund said it would sell its shares in Ben & Jerry’s owner Unilever PLC following a review of the ice-cream brand’s decision to stop retailing its products in Jewish settlements located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
   
• Kuaishou Technology, which owns a popular short-video platform in China, said chief executive and co-founder Su Hua has stepped back from day-to-day business, joining several peers at other Chinese tech giants who have made similar moves amid a regulatory crackdown.
   
• Employee resource groups have come a long way from mainly hosting networking events where members could wine and whine—as critics sarcastically described them. 

• Many people are familiar with what is known as Zoom fatigue, described as the feeling of being drained and lacking energy following a day of virtual meetings. Now, new research suggests that women and newer employees may be most susceptible to the phenomenon and that allowing people to turn off their cameras during meetings could make a big difference.
   
• Shanghai Disneyland was temporarily shut down from Sunday after a visitor who attended the day before was found to be Covid-positive, underscoring the economic disruption businesses in China face as the country strives for zero infections.
   
• A new measure intended to relieve congestion at Southern California ports threatens to pit U.S. importers against ocean carriers, highlighting divisions and competing interests at America’s busiest gateway for container imports.
   
• The Covid-19 pandemic has boosted retirements among baby boomers, further straining the tight labor supply and leaving a hole for employers to fill.

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